Expressing Peace. Listening. 71.

listening to peace

Listening to Peace

We’re familiar with peaceful listening: soothing music, ocean waves, birdsong.

Listening itself– the art and science of listening, regardless of what’s heard — brings peace.

Mom often said, “You hear me, but you’re not listening to me.” She distinguished between my ears automatically receiving sounds and my mind not paying attention to what I heard, which meant whatever she was telling me. Hearing is easy; listening is hard. For me, at any rate.

This afternoon I sat outside my office, just to listen. I didn’t force myself, didn’t tell myself to pay attention, to concentrate, or to take in every single sound. I wanted whatever I heard to feed my mind, my heart. That would be listening, I figured.

The listening was good; the peace was outstanding. After 15 minutes I had listened to — distinguished — dozens of sounds: a crisp door opening, laughter that rose and rose and floated away, a car without a muffler, voices intent on keeping something secret…….

Accomplishing distinction meant peace. Clear sounds, all of them beautiful, meant peace. The mindfulness of separating the sounds meant peace.

I am thankful at how easy it was. Easy after years of striving to become a better listener.

I settled at the table outside. I thought, “I’m here. What will I hear?”

I attended, allowing my ear-mind connection to pick up  surrounding sounds.

I received. A sound would become predominant and perk my hearing.

I accepted. I felt the sound enter my hearing…my mind…my heart.

The more my listening embraced each sound’s subtleties, the more my heart felt joy. That joy meant peace.

Listening Spirit,
thank you for the power to hear
to receive and recognize and respond
to the world around us.
And thank you more that we can listen.
We can let go attempts to wrestle
understanding from what’s heard.
We can let sounds caress
awareness from our hearts
up to our minds.
We can respond to the world we love
to hear, to listen to.
And so it is. Amen.
Amen.

Hear Peace. Listen to Peace.
Tim

Posted on October 23, 2014 at 6:55 pm by Tim · Permalink
In: Beauty, Inner Peace, Music, Peace, Prayer, Praying · Tagged with: , , ,